Church Street SquareDevelopment news

Mark SmithChairman of PwC in the Midlands

Wragge & Co and

Enabling EnterpriseFilm Bug in Colmore Business District

BUSINESS IN THE HEART OF BIRMINGHAMSpring 2012 www.colmorebusinessdistrict.com

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Welcome

10 Wragge & Co

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CHURCH STREET SQUARE DEVELOPMENT

Since work began on site in Church Street in November 2011, progress has been made towards creating a brand new public space in the heart of Colmore Business District.

PwC - Mark Smith Michele Wilby, Colmore Business District’s executive director meets the chairman of PwC in the Midlands.

Business . . . . . . . . 3-15

CBD Showcase . . . . 6Business Adviceand Resources . . . .8-9

CBD Spotlight . . 14-15Lifestyle . . . . . . . 16-24

CBD ‘To-Do List’ . . 24

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Welcome to the Spring 2012 edition of CBD Digest.

Church Street Square, Colmore Business District’s major public realm enhancement project in partnership with Birmingham City Council, will be completed in spring this year. The project will see the creation of a new public space on Church Street that will transform what used to be an underutilised area of Colmore Business District. It will prioritise pedestrian movement and improve walkability in the District as well as create a space that can be enjoyed by people in the area. The headline story in this edition is an update on the development work, as we get closer to the completion stage.

CBD Digest also features local business news and features as well as a lifestyle section. If you would like to get in touch about CBD Digest, please contact Tahreen Kutub, CBD communications co-ordinator: tahreen-k@colmorebusinessdistrict.com 0121 236 4686.

Gary CardinCBD Chairman

WELCOME

COLMORE BUSINESS DISTRICT

YOUR TEAMMichele Wilby BID Executive Director

Tahreen Kutub Communications Co-ordinator

Kirsten Henly Projects Co-ordinator

Clare Perkins CBD Administrator

CREDITSManaging Editor Michele Wilby

Production Manager & Journalist Tahreen Kutub

Designed and produced by BranchMartinSpicer

works with Enabling Enterprise to welcome primary school students to its Birmingham office.

15 RECIPE

�ILM �UGPart of the Flatpack Festival, Film Bug will be spreading across Colmore Business District on Wednesday 14th, Thursday 15th and Friday 16th March.16

Birmingham planners rubberstamp city centre developmentThe planning committee at Birmingham City Council has given the green light to proposals for the redevelopment of 55 Colmore Row, one of Birmingham’s most prominent office buildings in Colmore Business District.

Development partner Abstract Land Ltd with fund manager Kames Capital submitted plans for the major refurbishment and remodelling of the building earlier this autumn. Approval of proposals was deferred, but with approval now granted and subject to negotiations with the existing tenant, the detailed design phase of the complex, £22.5 million project will commence this year.

Planning application being prepared for refurbishment and reinstatement of Grand HotelThe owner of the Grand Hotel on Colmore Row, Hortons’ Estate Limited, is preparing a full planning application and application for listed building consent for the building’s refurbishment, and reinstatement for hotel use. The plans incorporate the restoration of the Colmore Row facade; the refurbishment of the famous Grosvenor Suite ballroom; the opening up of the main Staircase; and a 160 bedroom hotel restored to beyond its former glory. They also include associated meeting room, bar and restaurant facilities and complementary uses at the ground and lower ground floors.

In preparing the planning applications, Hortons’ Estate Limited held a pre-application public consultation in January to ensure that local residents and businesses had the opportunity to review and comment on the proposals.

Grant Thornton Birmingham Entrepreneur & Private Client Team Celebrates Trio of National AwardsGrant Thornton on Edmund Street in Colmore Business District has celebrated a trio of national awards for its Entrepreneur and Private Client tax team.

Eric Williams, head of tax in Birmingham and the firm’s national head of Private Client, has been named as one of the industry’s 50 most influential individuals by Private Client Practitioner. Amy Collins, senior tax manager, has been included in this year’s national ‘Top 35 under 35’ list of rising stars of talented young practitioners by Private Client Practitioner and is the youngest profiled at just 27. Tax partner Dan Hartland has been named one of Tax Journal’s ‘Top 40 under 40’, highlighting the best young professionals working in tax today.

Leading Midlands Company Law Barrister joins St Philips ChambersSpecialist company and commercial law barrister, Dominic Roberts, has joined St Philips Chambers in Colmore Business District.

Dominic specialises in all aspects of company law, financial engineering and commercial disputes. He is widely acknowledged as being an expert in such matters, attracting clients such as major UK and international corporates; leading UK and overseas law and accountancy firms. In 2009 these skills were recognised by The Financial Times when they awarded Dominic their Innovative Lawyers Award for the creation of the concept of a contractual profit reserve.

Tenant led property recovery predicted for 2012GBR Phoenix Beard is predicting strong demand for prime office space over the coming 12 months. The team bucked letting trends in 2011, topping the Birmingham office agency league tables (Source: Estates Gazette Birmingham Office Agency league tables 2011) for letting the most space in the 12 months to 30th September 2011, transacted within the highest number of deals. This equated to disposals of 236,648 sq ft accounted for by 36 deals. In anticipation of a tenant led property recovery in 2012, GBR Phoenix Beard has strengthened its office agency team based on Newhall Street in Colmore Business District with the recruitment of Angus Huntley as a surveyor. Angus joins from Stoford Developments where he undertook a postgraduate placement role.

Landmark city centre office building undergoes £2m refurbishmentEmbassy House, a landmark period fronted building in Colmore Business District, has undergone a £2 million refurbishment to provide grade A office accommodation.

Located on the corner of Church Street and Cornwall Street, Embassy House was constructed in 1899 by architects Owen & Ward. The refurbishment included major works to the reception and communal areas and an upgrade of all vacant office accommodation to include comfort cooling, perimeter and floor trunking and new LG7 compliant lighting. The original period facade of the building has been retained. DTZ and Jones Lang LaSalle are joint letting agents on the building on behalf of the landlord, AXA Real Estate Investment Managers.

News in Brief

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Since the launch of Chiltern Railways’ new faster Mainline service to London, the company has seen its Birmingham to

London market grow by 65% in comparison to the previous year.

Mainline launched in September following an investment of £250 million by the company to enable faster trains and a consultation with the business community in the West Midlands to define the new service.

This corporate consultation included focus groups held with representatives from companies in Colmore Business District, which then helped shape the service to meet customer expectations.  It led to the introduction of free Wi-Fi across the Mainline fleet of trains and the creation

of the Business Zone that effectively challenges the value of first class.

The company is seeing such high levels of growth because it is offering a great value option in economically vulnerable times.  Anytime tickets to London cost just £85, representing a huge saving when compared to the Euston route and this combination of pricing and improved journey times makes it an attractive option when travelling to London.

Chiltern Railways is keen to hear feedback from businesses regarding the service and travel cost saving. It plans to hold workshops, in partnership with other transport organisations in the city, during 2012.  To register your interest in taking part in these sessions please email john.davidson@chilternrailways.co.uk.

Chiltern Railways sees 65% market growth since Mainline launch

Chiltern Railways sees 65% market growth since Mainline launch

Safer Travel TipsThe Safer Travel Partnership is made

up of West Midlands Police, British Transport Police and Centro - the

transport executive for the West Midlands. The team’s aim is to tackle crime and Anti Social Behaviour on the Bus, Rail and Metro networks of the West Midlands.

To help the team maintain the low levels of crime currently experienced in Birmingham please see the following simple but top tips about safety and security.

• Avoid dimly lit areas, especially when

alone.

• Keep valuables like cash, jewellery and mobile phones out of sight unless you really need it.

• Check your bus, train or metro route, including departure times, before you set off.

• Pickpockets love crowds so keep bags to your front, closed with the fastening towards the body, taking even more care with rucksacks.

• Register valuable items like mobile phones, mp3 players and laptops on the national database www.immobilise.com. If they are stolen or lost and later recovered it will aid in prosecution of offenders and help us reunite you with your property.

PC Ben Westwood from the team said ‘These steps seem almost too simple, yet time and time again we see that offending could have been prevented by taking these precautions. I would ask your readers to take on board the safety advice especially when walking from work to their next destination, whether that be the train, bus, metro stops or just back to their cars.’

You can follow the team on Facebook (www.facebook.com/safertravelpolice) or Twitter (ST_Police). From these sites you can find out about the team’s ‘See Something Say Something’ campaign.

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The first time I met Mark Smith, he was on stage at the Birmingham Hippodrome playing the part of a

ventriloquist’s dummy! It was all for a good cause…more of that later.

The one thing I was sure about Mark before interviewing him was that he has a great sense of humour!

Mark is the chairman of PwC in the Midlands, which along with Birmingham includes the East Midlands and Milton Keynes offices. The Birmingham office of PwC is the largest accountancy practice outside London and the firm provides a wide range of professional services, including auditing, tax and advisory services. PwC is a network of member firms and Mark’s team in the Midlands works with that network to share the knowledge, skills and resources of 163,000 people around the world with local companies.

Mark has lived in the city since the age of 11 and joined PwC in 1985 as a trainee accountant. As he went to school in Birmingham, he has grown up with a generation of people in the business community and there are people he went to school with who are now business colleagues in the city!

PwC has a very young team with the average age of staff being just 27. As one of the

largest companies in Colmore Business District (CBD), Mark is very clear about the role that PwC and its staff should play in the wider community. This has been shown through PwC’s work with organisations such as youth charity, The Prince’s Trust and the not for profit organisation, Enabling Enterprise.

We moved onto Mark’s feelings about the work CBD is carrying out. He feels that Church Street Square will be a refreshing change in the landscape of the area, which is dominated by offices. He likes the Parisian style amenity the project will provide and he envisages people sitting with a coffee, debating the issues of the day. Mark thinks having a business improvement district is important so that organisations have a collective voice in the area. Furthermore, as people spend a lot of time at work, he feels the environment needs to be welcoming, safe, interesting and stimulating, which all fits in with the objectives of CBD.

Aside from his day job, Mark is the chair of development at Birmingham Hippodrome, building links between the theatre, individuals, trusts and corporates. The theatre, which is the most popular in the UK, has no public subsidy, but makes a significant contribution to the regional economy. The big focus for 2012 is the Stage Appeal, as the theatre needs to raise over £1m to replace

the 30 year old stage. This is why last year Mark played the part of a ventriloquist’s dummy; he was one of the star acts at the Gala fundraising dinner at the theatre. Birmingham Hippodrome is halfway there with its appeal but still needs a lot of support, so Mark urges anyone wanting to help, to either make a donation or contact the theatre to see how you can help.

As a final question I asked Mark what he would have liked to have been if he wasn’t chairman of PwC in the Midlands; not surprisingly he didn’t say ventriloquist’s dummy, but he did admit to having dreamt of being an England Rugby International or just a humble rock drummer!

For more information regarding the Stage Appeal, contact fundraising@birminghamhippodrome.com or call 0844 338 5040.

www.pwc.co.uk/midlands

Colmore Business District’s executive director meets

PwC’s Mark Smith

Michele WilbyBID Executive Director

Church Street Square will be a refreshing change in the landscape of the area

SHOWCASE

Café Costes is an independent, family run café on 58 Newhall Street in Colmore Business

District. Set up by entrepreneur Socrates Camenon in 2008, the cafe has recently been bought by his daughter Natasha and wife Kim. Tahreen Kutub met with Natasha Camenon to talk more about the café for this edition’s CBD Showcase.

Tell me about Café Costes’s menu.

Café Costes’s food is freshly homemade each morning. Our specialities are our wraps and Piadina style folds. The bread we use is made from 100% spring flour from South Dakota and has a fluffy and soft texture. We also offer salads, sandwiches, hot dishes such as chicken and pesto tagliatelle and soups. The soup of the day is usually our best seller. We also have cakes on the menu, which are made by my mum Kim. These include a lemon drizzle cake, carrot cake and ginger cake, which are delicious!

What drinks do you offer?

In addition to our coffees, there are freshly made juices and smoothies on the menu. Smoothies include the popular options we had available at last year’s CBD Food Festival,

such as the Very Berry Boost made up of frozen summer fruits, orange and yogurt. We also have an alcohol licence and offer wines, beers and champagne.

Do you offer any other services?

We offer outside catering, including buffets, for events of any size and on any day of the week. The events range from corporate lunches to weddings and we can offer options from £5 to £15 per head. I’ll always discuss options with customers and make suggestions to suit the requirements. If the customer wants something specific that is not on the standard menu, we will buy it in.

We can hire out a part or whole of the venue for events, with no hire charge. The capacity is up to 150 people standing and 80 people sat down. The venue’s music and alcohol licence can be utilised for the events. Being in the heart of the professional and financial district, we also encourage business meetings to take place at the café. We have an open conference area for meetings of up to 20 people.

The interior of the café has subdued lighting and is spacious; what were the inspirations behind this?

When my father set up the café, he wanted to offer a calm, casual and classy café for business meetings in the district. The subdued lighting contributes to the ambiance he wanted to create. Being of Cypriot origin, we try to encourage a relaxed European café culture with our interior and approach; hence customers can enjoy a glass of wine with their meal if they wish.

What are your plans for the café in the future?

We’re looking to introduce an art gallery in the café and will have 23 pieces of modern original art on the walls for sale. We have chosen lesser known artists to give them exposure. We’ll also be launching a brunch menu, which will include options such as omelettes and all day breakfasts. We’re part of a real diverse offering of food and drink in Colmore Business District; there is a lot of choice for businesses in the area and for visitors. We want to add to this by further developing our own offering.

www.cafecostes.co.uk

Tahreen KutubCBD Communications Co-ordinator

Café Costes is taking part in Colmore Business District’s Film Bug as part of the Flatpack Fesitval. See page 16 for further details.

Café Costes

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Colmore Business District (CBD), in partnership with Katie

Bard Recruitment, provided university students with the opportunity to visit six businesses across a range of professional sectors in the District in autumn last year.

Information about the open day was circulated by Katie Bard Recruitment to universities across the Midlands – reaching approximately 750,000 students.

The day saw presentations given by Barclays Wealth, BranchMartinSpicer, DLA Piper, Hotel du Vin, PwC and Turner & Townsend. Students were informed about each business, the types of roles and work environment, as well as top tips on applying for jobs.

Tahreen Kutub spoke to two of the attendees, Victoria Street and Josh Simmonds, about their experience of the day. Victoria is in her final year at the University of Birmingham, reading French and Italian. Josh is a Business and Human Resource Management student, in his first year at Birmingham City University.

Why did you attend the CBD Student Open Day?

Victoria: I wanted to get a better idea of the professional services in Birmingham. I liked the personal aspect of the day; we could actually visit the offices to see the businesses in their own environment and hear what they look for in candidates.

Josh: You very often hear about businesses and what they do but this open day enabled us to actually visit them and hear first-hand about what the presenters’ working lives involved. I’d not attended anything like this before and was keen to maximise the opportunity and visit all the businesses.

Were you aware of the business district before you heard about the event?

Victoria: I’ve grown up in Solihull and was aware of a business presence in this part of Birmingham city centre but had not realised that there was such a large number of businesses in the District. The day really broadened my horizons about the variety of professional services in the city.

Josh: Although I’d lived in Birmingham whilst I was at secondary school, I’d not been aware of the whereabouts of the business district. The locations of the six businesses on the day were spread out across the District. This allowed us to get a good idea about the scope of the area and number of office blocks as we walked from one presentation to the next.

What was the most useful part of the day?

Victoria: Most of the information you pick up about career opportunities is online or through printed literature so it was great to actually put a face to and speak to potential employers. The media coverage on unemployment can get depressing so it was helpful and comforting to get tips on simple things you can do to set yourself apart in an increasingly tough job market. I appreciated the opportunity to talk to the presenters and I’ve swapped email addresses with one of the companies that I was interested in, following the presentation.

Josh: The open day provided a great insight into a range of professional environments in the business district; you wouldn’t usually get a chance to do something like this as a student. It was very useful to hear from the top guys in the business world about career opportunities and be given the chance to interact with them after the presentations!

Students welcomed to Colmore Business District

The Birmingham Small Business CentreThe Birmingham Small Business Centre on 55 Newhall Street in Colmore Business District (CBD) was set up to respond to the demand for low cost and high quality facilities in central Birmingham, especially amongst the small business sector. Services include meeting and training rooms, registered office and business incorporation, function room for seminars or presentations and business start-up assistance.

Since its opening in June 2011, The Birmingham Small Business Centre has seen more than 50 individual customers who have frequently used the meeting and training room facilities and taken advantage of the free wi-fi and drinks available when booking a room.

Pauline Bailey, Sales and Marketing Director said “The passion behind our business is to help people trade more professionally by offering tangible goods and services that ease the burden on their pockets in difficult times. We believe in creating strong partnerships with our customers and suppliers and in our own small way we are helping Birmingham companies get more business and stay in business. As the relatively new kids on the block, we are keen to welcome any fellow CBD businesses to pop in for a coffee and say hi.”

The Birmingham Small Business Centre can be contacted on 0121 236 8484 or visit www.bhamsbc.co.uk.

Diverse Entrepreneur NetworkThe Diverse Entrepreneur Network (DEN) is a members-only club for small business owners, who share experiences, knowledge and business growth solutions, in order to overcome personal and business challenges. The DEN was founded by award winning businessman, Joel Graham-Blake, following his experiences as an entrepreneur. In 2009,

he had contemplated shutting down his existing business, having been affected by the economic climate. He saw that many business support organisations focused on helping businesses to network, in order to make new contacts, to gain referrals and get new leads etc. He felt that the sharing of experience as business owners, however, was missing and decided to self-fund three invitation-only events, bringing small business owners together. A year later, The DEN was launched as an alternative to

traditional business support, focused on peer to peer learning. Joel said: “The DEN provides the emotional support and encouragement that is so often missing on the journey as an entrepreneur. The membership encourages direct and honest feedback on your business, with members holding you to account if you don't take action in the areas that you say will help your business to succeed!” www.entrepreneurmastermindnetwork.com

Tips for trading during tough timesHanley Morgan Cooper provides a range of professional services including audit,

taxation, business development, family law support and corporate consulting to private individuals and businesses; small, medium and large. The company moved from Hagley Road to Temple Row West in Colmore Business District in May 2011 and also has an office in Dublin. Andrew Bonehill, principal at Hanley Morgan Cooper, is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and holds registered auditor status with them. Andrew has provided CBD Digest with his top tips for small businesses to trade during tough times:

• Review your current debtors list and chase or collect overdue items.

• Offer discounts to debtors for immediate settlement.

• Grade your customers as red-amber-green, indicating how worthwhile each of them are to your business - get rid of the "can't pay/won't pay" customers (i.e. "red") now - if necessary explain to them why you are no longer prepared to do business with them.

• Introduce a system of asking for references for new customers where feasible.

• Review and update your payment terms to facilitate earlier payment by customers - try to include a deposit or up-front payment if possible - educate your customers of this new approach - make these terms explicit and stick to your guns!

• Make extra effort in ensuring your relationships with your best customers (ie "green") are solid.

• If necessary or appropriate, review banking facilities and discuss future needs with your local business manager - consider changing banks if you encounter difficulty in these discussions.

• Review your list of products / services and eliminate those that are unprofitable or not core to your business.

• Outsource your problems and weaknesses to specialists - this will enable you to be free to focus on your strengths, which will allow you to chase down opportunities, win more business, increase your profits and generate more cash.

• Consider changing your accountant if you feel your current one is not being proactive enough with you or if they only contact you once a year to arrange your annual accounts and tax returns! Businesses need regular input from their accountants throughout the year.

For further details on Hanley Morgan Cooper visit www.hanleymorgancooper.com or call Andrew Bonehill on 0121 212 0055.

BUSINESS ADVICE & RESOURCES

Risky Business: How to Avoid the Potential Pitfalls of Recruitment & Job Seeking in 2012Hiring new staff or changing jobs in the current climate can be a daunting business for all concerned. However, taking a risk adverse approach doesn’t always work either and the fear of making the wrong move or hire can prevent you making good decisions.

Mitigate your risk and continue moving forward in 2012 by following some simple rules:

Job Seekers

Take time to understand your own ambitions and what gives you job satisfaction.

Do research; don’t just look at the big names in your industry, find out about small to medium size companies too – they might just be the right fit for you.

Dig deeper: Is the company stable? Will they help you reach your potential? Can they offer you better financial rewards or job satisfaction? Remember the reasons you started looking in the first place!

Employers

Don’t let valuable staff leave, make sure you know the market price of your employees at all times.

Make sure your recruitment agency understands your business objectives and how the new recruit fits into those plans.

Don’t over promise but know your strengths; new recruits will respond poorly if the role doesn’t live up to the expectations set, particularly when it comes to progression.

Follow these steps and keep moving in the right direction! Matt Green, Managing Director Idex Recruitment www.idexrecruitment.com

Going Social: Effective use of the internet for recruiters and job-seekersThe use of social media in recruitment is a relatively recent phenomenon, but it is not one that is going unnoticed - particularly at board level. According to Modis’ latest research, which surveyed 250 senior IT decision makers, the scale of social media recruitment is rapidly changing. In 2010 only 5% of respondents said they used social media in the recruitment process. However, this number has grown by almost five times in 2011 to 23%.

Candidates

Be aware of what you’re sharing on the internet. Most employers will carry out a search when you apply for a position and social media sites often feature prominently.

LinkedIn is a good place to consolidate your credentials online and interact with other IT professionals.

With IT candidates now being required to demonstrate a level of strategic decision-making ability, experience in this area can be crucial when putting together a CV or online profile.

Employers

The use of recruitment consultants, social media along with other traditional recruitment methods, such as advertising, now represent the three most popular methods of finding candidates. Therefore a multifaceted approach can help find a variety of skilled would-be employees.

Employees’ use of social media in the workplace can be a divisive issue – therefore a common-sense and well publicised social media policy can often negate many potential problems before they arise.

Jim Albert, Managing Director Modis www.modis.co.uk

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Recruitment AdviceIdex Recruitment, based at Colmore Plaza, and IT recruitment specialists Modis, based at Livery

Place, have provided CBD Digest with advice on key recruitment issues.

BUSINESS NEWS

Colmore Business District based international law firm, Wragge & Co, hosted a group of 10 to 11

year old pupils from Reaside Junior School at the beginning of the year for a half day competitive challenge. The project was a partnership with Enabling Enterprise, a not for profit organisation that works with schools to integrate practical learning and development of enterprise skills in the curriculum.

The event was the culmination of a two-day enterprise challenge held at Reaside Junior School where Year 6 students had to launch a new brand of chocolate and create the packaging. The programme focused on linking maths with enterprise to help students see the importance of numeracy in business. Activities included setting up and running a board meeting, making decisions based on market research and delegating roles to utilise and develop core enterprise skills. The winning three teams got a place at Wragge & Co for a final competitive challenge to design and build a metre long prototype bridge. The challenge involved negotiation and trading of resources, planning and implementation of the bridge, with a presentation at the end to pitch their products to a judging panel from Wragge & Co. Each team had a mentor from the firm to assist with the work.

Enabling Enterprise was set up by Tom Ravenscroft in 2009, as a result of his experiences as a Business teacher in a secondary school in Hackney. He had

realised that teaching through textbooks wasn’t preparing students for the business world and felt practical learning was required. He said, “I believe you can’t just tell young people about business; they need to experience it though activities that develop key enterprise skills.” Enabling Enterprise provides teacher training and teaching resources to schools that have subscribed and arranges school visits to leading companies to raise aspirations.

Community work and raising aspiration form a key part of Wragge & Co’s corporate social responsibility agenda. Lorna Gavin, head of corporate responsibility said, “We want to help raise career aspirations within young people and bridge the gap between a school environment and a business environment. This fits in really well with Enabling Enterprise’s objectives. The event allowed young students to get exposure to a big business. Our main message to them was that any of them could work in a company like this and that a lawyer was only one of a variety of roles at Wragge & Co.”

Tom stressed that Enabling Enterprise didn’t want to give the students a one off experience that solely involved visiting a business. Such visits needed to be complemented by exploring enterprise in-school as well as its links to curriculum subjects such as Maths, to help students put their experience into context. This can either happen through an intensive two day challenge, as at Reaside Junior School, or through a series of lessons designed by Enabling Enterprise and delivered by

teachers over a term or even the whole school year.

Speaking about Enabling Enterprise’s work, Tom said, “At the moment, we are working with 70 schools, 15 of which are in Birmingham. Schools working with us have introduced Enterprise as a course, which is taught throughout the academic year. Over 10,000 students have enrolled onto the programme and we are keen to work with more schools and organisations in the next year.”

Katie Rothwell, corporate responsibility executive at Wragge & Co spoke about the volunteering on the day, which is a core element of the firm’s community work. Four volunteers from Wragge & Co mentored the students throughout the duration of the event. She commented that it was great for employees to step away from their desks to work with the local community and they loved watching the students’ confidence grow as they progressed with the task. Talking about the future with Enabling Enterprise, Lorna said Wragge & Co is keen to take a long term partnership approach. The firm would like to hold an event such as this once every school term in Birmingham and London. Enabling Enterprise is also working with PwC in Colmore Business District. This has seen volunteers visit Heartlands Academy to develop their enterprise skills as well as a student visit to the firm for a competitive challenge, similar to that at Wragge & Co. www.wragge.com www.enablingenterprise.org

Wragge & Co works with Enabling Enterprise to welcome primary school students to its Birmingham office

Tahreen KutubCBD Communications Co-ordinator

Wragge & Co works with Enabling Enterprise to welcome primary school students to its Birmingham office

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NOMINATIONS FOR BIRMINGHAM YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE

YEAR 2012

NOW OPENOn Thursday 26th January the crème de la crème of Birmingham’s business community gathered at the new Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill to launch the 2012 Birmingham Young Professional of the Year Awards (BYPY).

Now in its twelfth year the awards seek out the city’s most exceptional young professionals across business sectors including communications, entrepreneurial, financial, legal, property & construction and HR, recruitment & training.

Open to anyone who is 35 and under and is working in Birmingham, previous winners include James Villarreal, co-founder of Glide Utilities, Suzie Branch, managing director of BranchMartinSpicer and Ruth Pipkin, managing director of Rewired PR. Last year saw Hilary Allen, a chartered quantity surveyor and associate at Davis Langdon beat off stiff competition to be crowned overall winner of Birmingham Young Professional of the Year 2011.

This year BYPY also launches a new award, Aspiring Talent. Recognising exceptional individuals aged between 18 and 23, currently in full time Higher or Further Education, the award hopes to inspire the winner to go on to greater achievements within the city.

The 2012 winners will be announced at the spectacular awards ceremony at the ICC on Thursday 17th May.

Nominations are now open and anyone who demonstrates not only professional achievements but also a real commitment to Birmingham is encouraged to apply. For more details about how to enter please visit www.birminghamyoungprofessional.co.uk.

P rivate bank and national wealth manager Brown Shipley moved from Brindley Place to 45 Church Street in

September 2011. The firm plans to grow the office from its prime new location in Colmore Business District (CBD). Private banking director, Anne Brookes, talked to Tahreen Kutub about the firm and its location in the heart of the District.

The Birmingham office has been in operation since 2008, although the firm’s history spans over 200 years. The bank had started as a trade finance house in 1810, financing merchant ships carrying cotton, linen and tobacco across the Atlantic. It has since developed to become a wealth management firm that also provides services in private banking, lending, investment and financial planning.

Anne talked about the firm’s focus on service: “We offer long-term relationships and quality service, not products. We’re flexible to client needs and have a small number of clients – no more than 75 per banker or investment manager. This is done so that we can offer a special service to our clients.”

There are currently 10 members of staff in Birmingham but there is space to grow, as the new office has enough seats for up to 20. Anne mentioned the office is looking to grow its banking team of four, expecting the team to be increased by two at the end of the year. She said, “We are very serious about doing business in Birmingham, which is shown through our investment in a prime location in the heart of the commercial district and our aspiration to grow the team.”

Commenting on the new location in the business district, which is next to CBD’s Church Street Square public realm enhancement scheme, Anne said: “75% of our business development contacts are in the immediate area, which makes business so much easier for us. CBD is a very networked place. I think Church Street Square is a great idea; it will give us the opportunity to have meetings outside if it’s a sunny day. Since moving into 45 Church Street, we’ve actually noticed that more clients have been visiting us in the office!”

For further information on Brown Shipley’s services visit www.brownshipley.com.

Brown ShipleyMembers of the Brown Shipley banking team (l-r) Adrian Lewis, Anne Brookes and Clive Batchelor

The public realm enhancement scheme will see the previously wide carriageway reduced and the majority of car parking spaces removed. The space has been redesigned to accommodate a new public area with seating, greenery and trees as well as improved lighting. Working in partnership with Birmingham City Council, CBD is creating a new space in the District for all to enjoy, as well as enhancing the walking route to the Jewellery Quarter.

Public realm champion and CBD board director Mike Best said, “After working with Birmingham City Council to plan and design the new Square, it’s great to now see the road being realigned, the new high quality materials being set and the space starting to transform. This is a project that will be a permanent part of the business quarter of Birmingham and is a real testament to demonstrate the potential for future partnership working with the City and other organisations to deliver long-lasting change. It is one of a number of CBD legacy projects that will be delivered during our first five year BID term.”

Public artwork has also been commissioned and is planned to be installed upon completion of Church Street Square.

For more information and the latest images of the Church Street Square build process, visit www.colmorebusinessdistrict.com or contact Kirsten Henly:kirsten-h@colmorebusinessdistrict.com.

Church Street:

Did you know?• 49 benches (500kg each) will be put

on Church Street Square.

• 200m2 Yorkstone, totalling 150 tonnes will be put in.

• 300 tonnes of existing road and pavement will have been removed from the area.

• 250m kerbs equalling 35 tonnes will be put in.

• 100 tonnes of master tint brown tarmac will be put in.

• 8 specialist contractors have been working on the project.

• 5 men have been working on-site since November 2011, working 7.30am -5.30pm.

• Over 1 mile of cables have been used on-site – e.g for lighting.

• 6 trees will be planted in the square.

Church StreetSquare

Since work began on site in Church Street in November 2011, progress has been made towards creating a brand new public space in the heart of Colmore Business District (CBD).

This is a project that will be a permanent part of the business quarter of Birmingham and is a real testament to demonstrate the potential for future partnership working…

Mike Best CBD board director

& public realm champion

Development news

13

(l-r) Councillor Timothy Huxtable, Birmingham City Council; Kirsten Henly and Mike Best of Colmore Business District(l-r) Councillor Timothy Huxtable, Birmingham City Council; Kirsten Henly and Mike Best of Colmore Business District

SPOTLIGHT

Why did you decide to move to Colmore Business District?

Bloomer Heaven had been based on Lionel Street for over 20 years. We had been thinking of moving for the past five years to be closer to the hub of professional and financial service companies within the business district. Now clients can come in to see us and walk over to their lawyers or bank; being in CBD has made things more convenient for our clients. It’s also great to be able to bump into clients now on a social basis in eateries within CBD, such as Opus Restaurant.

Rutland House faces Church Street Square, CBD’s major public realm enhancement scheme. What are your thoughts on this?

The Church Street Square scheme was pointed out to us when we chose to move to Rutland House. I think it’s a great scheme that will really improve the area. By becoming a new public space in the city centre, there will be potential to hold events here that will bring people to the area and publicise the businesses in the vicinity. It will enhance the overall ambience of the area!

How would you define Bloomer Heaven’s approach?

The majority of our clients are in Birmingham or elsewhere in the West Midlands and within 25 miles of our offices. We understand the local issues that our clients are going through in the current times because we are experiencing them too. We work very much in partnership with our clients; we ask them what they want to get from their businesses and develop a plan to get them there. We sit alongside our clients to drive their business forward. Business advice comes as part of our offering in all our services, such as

taxation, audit, accountancy and payroll. The firm is proud to have been in business for over 130 years and to still be going strong, particularly in the current economic climate.

What is different about Bloomer Heaven?

Bloomer Heaven is part of the MHA Group, which is an Association that links us with seven other like minded and progressive firms of independent chartered accountants across the UK and is helping build a national focus for us. Being a part of this enables us to transfer knowledge and skills with the other members and offer these to clients. The membership has also given us access to an international association for clients with issues that require international knowledge and expertise.

Tell us about your office at Rutland House

Our 45 staff members were based on two floors in our previous location; now we’re all on one floor and it is so much more convenient to have different departments close to each other. The offices are much lighter and more modern here and we’ve had a great response from staff and clients. We now also have a space to hold seminars, which are open to clients and potential clients and focus on key financial issues faced by different sectors. The last seminar was for school academies, which form a number of our clients. The seminar was a practical approach to dealing with common financial issues faced by academies, such as compliance and meeting audit requirements. Going forward, the intention is to hold seminars on a quarterly basis.

www.bloomerheaven.co.uk

Bloomer HeavenIndependent accountancy firm, Bloomer Heaven has been in operation since 1877. A Birmingham based

practice throughout its history, the firm moved to Rutland House on Edmund Street in Colmore Business District (CBD) in September 2011. Tahreen Kutub met with Chris Barlow, one of three directors at the firm, to talk about the move and the firm’s offering.

The Church Street Square scheme was pointed out to us when we chose to move to Rutland House. I think it’s a great scheme that will really improve the area.

Chris Barlow Director

Bloomer Heaven

Chris Barlow, directorat Bloomer Heaven

15

Estate agency, FleetMilne Residential moved into Colmore Business District (CBD) in February 2012.

Tahreen Kutub spoke to owner, Nicola Fleet-Milne, to find out more about the company and the reasons behind the move to Birmingham’s business district.

Having been in the lettings industry for three years, Nicola decided to set up her own residential lettings business in 2004. FleetMilne Residential was born out of, “a frustration with antiquated procedures” as well as a desire to do things better and with more flexibility in the lettings business. Nicola spoke of her welcoming attitude to change and her desire to act on feedback from customers, which is how she wanted to run her business.

Nicola started FleetMilne Residential on her own with a hope that after the first year she would still be in business, would have let approximately 80 properties and would have another member of staff. As it turned out, the end of the first year had seen the business grow much faster than she had anticipated, with 123 lettings and three additional staff members!

Nicola attributed a large part of the first year’s success to the good reputation she had established in the city’s lettings industry through her previous roles. She spoke of the importance of customer relations to her team and above all, establishing and maintaining that key element of trust with clients, which the company has embodied since its inception.

The company now has 15 employees, having had steady growth in the past eight years. Speaking about her staff members, Nicola said: “One of the strengths of the business is that I only employ solution oriented and not problem oriented people. I want happy and enthusiastic employees, which has come across at the interviews of all my staff members. It’s important to me that FleetMilne Residential is a place that my staff love to work in and I am proud to have a dedicated team that want to work together.”

Keen to grow the business in Birmingham, Nicola wanted to move the office from Waterfront Walk to a more central location, closer to the large national companies and what she referred to as a “sphere of influence”. She said, “Having looked at a couple of areas, it became very clear quite quickly that we had to move to CBD. The area has a huge sphere of influence with large professional sector firms that present key networks for us. I wanted the business to have a visible presence in the view of these companies and for my team members to become known within this area. Furthermore I think it’s a really well run district and I highly rate the CBD team. The area is clean, tidy and well lit and I love the security aspect through the street wardens.”

The new office on 85-89 Colmore Row has an open and friendly approach and Nicola would encourage people to pop in and say hello to the team. She said the team is the heart of the business and the unique selling point of FleetMilne Residential is not what it does but how the team does it through approachability, dedication and trust!

www.fleetmilne.co.uk

Nicola’s top tips for when something stops working in the home If something stops working, it is tempting to pick the phone up straight away, but try these handy tips first (save on possible embarrassment or call out fees):

• Google the problem. (Loads of help pages on the web!)

• Check the appliance is turned ‘on’ and the trip switch is pointing to ‘on’.

• Take clear pictures before calling a helpline - they may benefit from photos of the issue.

• Obvious one: read the manual!

• Check the fuse.

FleetMilne Residential

(l-r) Director of FleetMilne Residential, Ben Evans and owner, Nicola Fleet-Milne(l-r) Director of FleetMilne Residential, Ben Evans and owner, Nicola Fleet-Milne

Chris Barlow, directorat Bloomer Heaven

Culture

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Film Bug Outline Programme

Birmingham's premier film jamboree, Flatpack Festival is rapidly approaching for the sixth time  and

with five days jam-packed full of screenings, live performances, installations, workshops, parties and much more, you'll need to block out the 14-18th March in your diaries and enjoy some of the filmic gems on offer. What’s more, this year Colmore Business District (CBD) has teamed up with Flatpack to present Film Bug, a bespoke programme of films and performances across the District.

Film Bug will be spreading across CBD on Wednesday 14th, Thursday 15th and Friday 16th March and will be kicking off on Wednesday night with the UK’s leading silent film pianist Neil Brand, accompanying a programme of comedy silent shorts at Birmingham Cathedral, including a selection of rarely seen Laurel & Hardy shorts. There’ll also be a whole host of short film programmes, feature films, and a chance to see Mercury Music Prize nominee Kit Downes accompanying an animated programme by Lesley Barnes. This exclusive three day event will bring independent cinema to the doorstep of Birmingham’s business community.

Kirsten Henly, CBD projects co-ordinator said, “We have worked to bring cinema to CBD workers and visitors and with this exclusive event we hope that people will pop out of their offices at lunchtime or spend a bit of time after work, watching films that they

wouldn’t normally see in the average high street cinema. This is really about providing something different and interesting to the District and Flatpack Festival is a fantastic and much celebrated cultural event in the city.”

Ian Francis, Flatpack Festival director commented, “Flatpack Festival is all about taking film to unexpected places and this partnership with Colmore Business District has been a great opportunity for us to explore some new corners of the city. Whether it be animation, silent comedy or live jazz scores, Film Bug packs into a couple of days a taste of all the fantastic film activity that goes on in Birmingham through the year and most of it is free so there's no excuse not to dip in and try a few things out.”

The festival has an emphasis on unusual screening environments meaning it'll be taking over spaces across the city from warehouses in Digbeth, to long boats on the canal, to Birmingham Cathedral, to various bars, pubs, and cafés. For the more traditional film-goers, there'll be no shortage of films in cinemas too with features and short programmes screening at both the Electric Cinema and the MAC. For more information on Film Bug and the rest of the festival, look out for Film Bug’s hub on 23 Colmore Row, which will be open during the three days. You can also pick up a foldout programme that will be available in various hot-spots in CBD from the beginning of March.

www.flatpackfestival.org

�ILM �UG

Wednesday 14th March

Birmingham CathedralNeil Brand has been accompanying silent films on the piano for over 25 years. For the opening night of the festival he’ll be playing along to a selection of silent comedy shorts including Laurel and Hardy.

The Jekyll and Hyde (Steelhouse Lane) After Neil Brand has entertained, make your way to the The Jekyll and Hyde where the festivities continue. There’ll be films in the gin parlour and a party downstairs.

Thursday 15th March

Birmingham & Midland Institute (Margaret Street)Mercury Music Prize nominee Kit Downes will be performing a live score with his quintet to animations by Lesley Barnes, taking place in the Lyttelton Theatre.

Birmingham & Midland Institute (Margaret Street)Birmingham International Film Society will be showing New York ‘No Wave’ documentary Blank City, followed by a Just Film screening of Four Horsemen.

The Jekyll & Hyde (Steelhouse Lane)A programme of short films will be shown during the early evening, followed by the 1979 classic Mod film, Quadrophenia.

Café Costes (Newhall Street) and Urban Coffee Company (Church Street)Short programmes including a Birmingham archive programme, a selection of award winning films from both Flip International Animation Festival and Underwire Festival.

The Old Royal Pub (Church Street)Community group, Stirchley Happenings will be taking over the upstairs of The Old Royal pub and will be screening the classic Ealing comedy, The Lavender Hill Mob.

Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (Margaret Street)A showreel of artists’ films will be running from 4:00pm - 7:30pm.

The Old Joint Stock (Temple Row West)Screenings throughout the day with a Laurel and Hardy programme, a KINO 10 comedy shorts programme and ‘Full Flow’, a selection of shorts produced by IdeasTap members.

Friday 16th March

Café Costes (Newhall Street) and Urban Coffee Company (Church Street)Expect an eclectic mix of shorts, including some archive material.

Birmingham & Midland Institute (Margaret Street)Curators Mona Casey and Katy Woods’ artists’ showreels will be screening.

Film Bug Colmore Business District presents…

17

Independent business, At One Day Spa has worked with organisations in Colmore Business District (CBD) and is looking to further develop links with the business community. Tahreen Kutub talked to owner Beth Davies about the spa and her work with organisations in CBD.

Based in the Great Western Arcade, the day spa fuses beauty, holistics and massage. All staff members take a holistic approach and the rooms are Eastern inspired. The spa’s key offerings include express treatments, such as waxing and massages; pampering treatments including facials and full body aromatherapy; and pampering parties where the venue can be closed off for private events. A third of At One Day Spa’s clients are men.

A former personal trainer and triathlete, Beth wanted to set up her own spa close to the commercial district to be near workers in the professional and financial sector, who are key customers. She had previously worked as a management consultant and therefore understood some of the pressures and strain on these workers. Her role had included commuting four hours daily and sitting in front of a computer for the majority of the day. Beth believes this understanding is key to At One Day Spa’s approach, stating, “We don’t just offer a massage, we look at the reasons behind the strain and the best way in which we can tackle it.”

Speaking about some of the strengths of the spa, Beth said, “Being an independent business means the spa is free of any constraints and we can be really responsive to customers’ needs. It is not an add-on to a larger business; it is the be all and end all! Each treatment is tailored towards the client. My six members of staff are all very experienced and the three core therapists have been there since the start. All staff members contribute to the spa’s ethos and future developments.” Elaborating on future developments, Beth talked about the introduction of Mummy

Monday. This would see the spa open on a Monday once a month, outside its usual Tuesday to Sunday opening times. The day will be dedicated to mothers, with a child minder onsite. In regards to new products, Beth will be launching a Bacial, which is a facial for the back. She is also in talks to introduce an intense pulsed light laser treatment that is used for permanent hair removal and skin rejuvination. At One Day Spa has worked with KPMG, HSBC and Pinsent Masons in CBD. The work with KPMG involved providing treatments for staff members on-site at One Snowhill for a fundraising week for Barnados. Each staff member paid a fee for the treatment, with all proceeds going to charity. Beth said, “I’ve always been involved with charity work and want to support businesses to support charities. Providing we can cover our costs, we are excited to hear about innovative fundraising ideas and how we can support these.” As well as supporting charities, Beth is also working on the corporate offer to help businesses to support their staff. This has been shown through the spa’s work with HSBC, which involved providing free massages for a lunchtime event on healthy living. Earlier this year, At One Day Spa was also involved with a wellbeing week organised by Pinsent Masons. This involved a range of activities provided by the spa throughout the week, including seated back massages, a talk on Nutrition for Sport, holistic therapy sessions and workshops on stretching to alleviate pain and strain caused by office and computer work.

For further information on At One Day Spa, visit www.atonedayspa.co.uk.

At One Day SpaAt One Day SpaTahreen KutubCBD Communications Co-ordinator

Spotlight

Opus Restaurant’s up and coming star

Opus Restaurant was still celebrating that it had had the best Christmas trading for three years when I visited at the beginning of January. There was a huge amount of activity at the time, as the restaurant’s reception area was having a mini makeover.

Part of the Opus success story is its staff and I was there to meet one of the up and coming stars, Adam Finney.

It is hard to believe that Adam is 19 years old; a graduate from the UCB College of Food, he has already won four awards both individually and as part of a team. Last year he won the Marche Award for Excellence as Food and Beverage Assistant of the Year and was one of the members of the team who won the Nestlé Toque d’Or award. The Nestlé Toque d’Or award carries the most enviable reputation for inspiring and challenging catering students!

I first met Adam on 30th November 2010; I remember the exact date because it was a

celebratory birthday lunch and we had just had the first snow fall of the year, which was very deep. We got chatting to Adam and inevitably the conversation turned to the weather and he told us that he had walked six miles to get to work. You don’t forget people like that and on our next visit to Opus he very hesitantly offered to help choose the wine. After drinking his recommended wine, I now fully understand why Adam aspires to be the youngest ever Master Sommelier!

I felt inspired after meeting Adam for our interview; at 19 he knows exactly what he wants to achieve, whilst also acknowledging that it is going to take dedication and hard work. He cannot praise enough the help and support he has received from Ann, David and Irene from Opus. I am glad he has become part of the success story that is Opus and I look forward to following his rising career.

www.opusrestaurant.co.uk

Michele WilbyBID Executive Director

Adam Finney

INGREDIENTS

Spiced Potato CakesBoiled King Edward potatoes 250 gmsCarrots 60 gmsGreen beans 80 gmsCauliflower 80 gmsFresh coriander ¼ bunchSpring onions ¼ bunchBrie 80 gms Plain flour 100 gmsBreadcrumbs 100 gmsTurmeric 3 gmsCumin powder 5 gmsCoriander powder 3 gmsFresh chopped ginger 3 gmsCumin seeds 1 gmChat Masala To tasteSalt To taste

Sweet Chilli DipSweet chilli sauce 100 gmsChopped coriander 25 gms Chopped ginger 10 gmsSugar and salt To taste

METHOD

Boil the potatoes, peel and grate the carrots, chop the green beans , cauliflower, coriander, ginger and spring onion into bite-size pieces.

Heat oil in a sauce pan, add the cumin seeds and when they start to crackle, add the chopped ginger, followed by the vegetables and spices. Sauté this and then cover the saucepan and cook under steam till the vegetables are tender. Place this to one side.

Cut the brie into four equal sized cubes. Mash the potatoes and combine with the vegetable mixture and taste for seasoning.

Divide the mixture into four cakes and insert the cubes of brie into the middle.

Make a batter with flour and 100mls of water: whisk together to make a smooth pancake mixture-like consistency.

Dip the cakes into the batter and then breadcrumb. The cakes are now ready to be fried until they are golden brown and crispy. When cooked, drain them on a kitchen paper towel to get rid of any excess oil.

For the dressing, heat a tablespoon of oil, add the chopped ginger and sweet chilli sauce with a little water until the sauce is reduced, then finally add a handful of chopped coriander.

To finish, place one potato cake on top of another, pour the sweet chilli dip on top and serve with fresh, mixed greens.

with Sweet Chilli Dip and Greens

Spiced Potato & Somerset Brie Cakes Spiced Potato & Somerset Brie Cakes

Recipe 19

ENTER OUR COMPETITION ON P23 TO WIN A MEAL FOR TWO AT SAFFRON!

Serves two

Recipe kindly provided by Sudha Saha, chef patron of Saffron Restaurant on Colmore Row. www.saffronbirmingham.co.uk

Adam Finney

Taking Care of Business is the second album release from jazz, blues and gospel band, Tipitina and was recorded in Birmingham’s business quarter in June 2011. Organised by Colmore Business District (CBD) to

launch its participation in the Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival, the three hour live recording event took place in the courtyard of Hotel du Vin and was attended by members of Birmingham’s business community. The album features 14 tracks including Taking Care of Business, which was written especially for CBD. Taking Care of Business is now available worldwide via iTunes, and most other online outlets, and the CD is available on pre-order.

Tipitina’s Justin Randall talked about the album recording and the future plans for the band.

Tell us about your experience with recording your second album live in front of a Colmore Business District audience?Recording in front of an audience was a new experience for us. We only had three sessions of forty minutes each to record, compared to normally having two or three full days in the studio. Hence, there was a lot of pressure and we had to be very focused. It was exciting to play to an audience and they were very appreciative of the performance, helping us to feel relaxed and play in our natural way.

What was the thinking behind the song you had written especially for CBD – Taking Care of Business?We thought it would be appropriate to find some common ground between ourselves and CBD, and to find a title that could represent us both equally. It was also something of a thank you for the support given to us. The song is basically acknowledging the merits of hard work, overcoming challenges and moving in a forward, positive direction.

How is this album different to your first album?It has the feel of a live performance, with the ambiance from the room and applause from the audience. There is more emphasis on the music of New Orleans. There are also three original songs and even a piece from the classical music genre.

What are the plans for Tipitina in the future?We will be working alongside our management team, Big Bear Music, in promoting the new CD as much as possible, travelling both in the UK and internationally, playing as many performances as we can. The CD will also be sold via the many outlets available on the internet including iTunes and Amazon. We also have upcoming performances in the Isle of Wight and Gibraltar.

Colmore Business District will be taking part in the Birmingham International Jazz & Blues Festival for the fourth consecutive year in 2012. Performances will take place in the District from 9th-14th July. Details of the schedule and artists will be in the next edition of CBD Digest.

Culture

Taking Care of Business

(l-r) Justin Randall and Debbie Jones of Tipitina performing live at Hotel du Vin. Photo credit: Merlin Daleman

Debbie Jones of TipitinaPhoto credit: Merlin Daleman

The CBD team with Tipitina. Photo credit: Merlin Daleman

21

Birmingham’s professionals worked together to raise over £19,000 for The Prince’s Trust

in a series of events and activities planned by Colmore Business District (CBD) in 2011.

Fundraising began in the summer with a golf competition organised by CBD and commercial property specialist Bruntwood, which raised over £8,000. Other projects included a four-day sponsored walk of Hadrian’s Wall (raised over £3,500) and proceeds (approximately £5,000) from the sale of the photography book, “Perspectives: Photographs of Colmore Business District”,

which features work from students at Birmingham City University.

For the second year running, businesses within the District also participated in the CBD Challenge 500, a competition that sees local firms compete to be the first to raise £500 and the team to raise the most overall. The first team to raise £500 was Browne Jacobson, who raised over £700. Bruntwood picked up the prize for the team that raised the most funds with a total of £1,100.

The challenge concluded with a finale event at All Bar One, with prizes kindly donated by Nepalese restaurant, Jojolapa, and Birmingham Hippodrome.

Here is an overview of the CBD Challenge 500 teams and fundraising activities.

NOYDSWho: Branch Martin SpicerTeam members: Suzie Branch, David Martin, Richard Spicer Activities: Raising money whilst shopping online with www.easymoney.com

Amount raised: £51.31

LAWYERS, LESS ORDINARYWho: Browne JacobsonTeam members: Daniel Whebell, Tina Robinson, Chereta Edmeade, Laura Mackenzie, Tamara Quailey-Tulloch, Joanne LewisActivities: Birmingham Half Marathon, “Fundraising Fridays” - cake sales, raffle/lottery (prizes donated by companies including ASOS, Harvey Nichols, Slaters and Body Shop)

Amount raised: £722.00

THE BRUNTWOOD TEAMWho: BruntwoodTeam members: Sandi Kaur, Lucy Lee, Rachel Knowles, Katie Scott, Kate Evans, Debra SilenceActivities: Book sale, cake and samosa sale, Halloween raffle

Amount raised: £1,100.00

HOTEL DU VINWho: Hotel du Vin BirminghamTeam members: Stephanie Simpson, Faye Kelly, Mark Chapman, Ben Harvey, Arora Lagadec.Activities: Halloween du Vin fundraising event

Amount raised: £140.66

BEAN STALKERSWho: StarbucksTeam members: Andy Cope, Rachel Stanton, James Turner, Steve Whetton, Tom FloydActivities: Store activities - "Guess the weight of lattes", "Guess how many beans in jars”

Amount raised: £92.00

TURLEY TROOPERSWho: Turley AssociatesTeam members: Fran Rowley, Kim Brindley, Andrea Arnall, Diane Bowers, Becky Bonnett, Rachel HanburyActivities: Sponsored cycle (stationary in office - completed 835 miles on the bike), ‘bring and share’ lunch, dress down Fridays, office 10th anniversary staff party

Amount raised: £746.00

TURNER & TOWNSENDWho: Turner & TownsendTeam members: Zoe Bashforth, Felicity Geoghegan, Hayley StarzakActivities: Charity book sale, auction of director's parking spaces, walk to work, giving up smoking, Halloween themed cake sale and competition, lift tax

Amount raised: £365.00

COFFEE MONKEYSWho: Urban Coffee CompanyTeam members: Jamie Weaver, Simon Humes, Katie Wooten, Richard Trueman, Jenny Baker, Dom ClarkeActivities: Raffle and donation boxes

Amount raised: £102.50

Over £19,000 raised for

The Prince’s Trust

The Results

CBD board director, Rob Valentine presents prize toSandi Kaur from Bruntwood

of Challenge 500

The Browne Jacobson winning team with CBD and The Prince’s Trust

(l-r) Justin Randall and Debbie Jones of Tipitina performing live at Hotel du Vin. Photo credit: Merlin Daleman

Debbie Jones of TipitinaPhoto credit: Merlin Daleman

The CBD team with Tipitina. Photo credit: Merlin Daleman

Art

Join the Whitewall Galleries team, based on Colmore Row, for a glass of champagne on any Thursday evening in March to take advantage of the late opening on this day of the week (until 7pm).

Whitewall Galleries presents a great portfolio of artists, ranging from top international names and award winners such as Rolf Harris CBE, Sherree Valentine Daines and Fabian Perez to new talents including Todd White, Gary Benfield and Remi LaBarre. The gallery is continually sourcing new artists from around the world to ensure that the walls remain fresh, cutting edge and exciting. Register with the gallery to receive invitations to celebrity artist appearances, exhibitions, champagne receptions, private views and launch parties.

www.whitewallgalleries.com

Fancy a Glass of champagne? Fancy a Glass of champagne?

Pop along to Whitewall Galleries

Brindis Con Champagne by Fabian Perez. Image provided by Whitewall Galleries

Winter edition’s

Competition Winner

Cynthia de Souza, visitor assistant at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, is the lucky winner of our winter competition – winning a champagne dinner for two at All Bar One on Newhall Street in Colmore Business District.

Victoria SquareFriday 13th July - Sat 14th July 11-7pmTaste the flavoursRelax in the summer sunMeet friends from the DistrictListen to live jazz and blueswww.colmorebusinessdistrict.com

Birmingham gets double recognition in The New York Times

Win a delicious meal for two and a bottle of wine at Saffron Restaurant on 126 Colmore Row. To enter, send the answer to the following question to Tahreen Kutub: tahreen-k@colmorebusinessdistrict.com.

Who is the chef patron at Saffron Restaurant?

TERMS AND CONDITIONSCompetition closing date is Monday 30th April 2012. Entries must be received by this date. The winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries. The winner will be announced in the next issue of CBD Digest.

Birmingham was featured twice in The New York Times in January this year, praised for its “rich dining scene” and

described as “England’s heartland metropolis: big-shouldered, friendly and fun.”

Birmingham was placed in 19th position in a shortlist of ‘45 Places to Go in 2012’ at the beginning of January, for its culinary offering. The recognition came after BBC Olive magazine's declaration of Birmingham being the UK’s “foodiest town” in October last year during the Birmingham Food Fest. Top Colmore Business District (CBD) based chefs, Glynn Purnell of Purnell’s and David Colcombe of Opus Restaurant (pictured opposite) were named in the article.

Three weeks later, the city was featured in a second article, ‘36 Hours in Birmingham’, which reported on travel writer Mark Vanhoenacker’s visit to the city. City highlights that were mentioned included independent coffee shop, Urban Coffee Company, based on Church Street in CBD and the Jewellery Quarter. Simon Jenner, owner of Urban Coffee Company and a board director of CBD, was also mentioned in the article.

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Win a meal for two at Saffron Restaurant

Saffron is the latest Indian fine dining restaurant to open in Colmore Business District (CBD), on 126 Colmore Row.

Chef Patron, Sudha Saha, fuses Indian dishes with European ingredients in the lunch, pre-theatre and à la carte menus.

Sudha first took an interest in his mother’s cooking when he was 12 years old and was eventually allowed to help her in the kitchen, which is where his love of cooking started. He has worked as a chef around the world, including Dubai and Spain, and

joined Saffron Restaurant Group in 2006 as Chef Patron. Commenting on the opening in CBD, Sudha said, “Our latest opening in the heart of Birmingham’s professional and financial quarter will introduce Birmingham businesses and visitors to our style of Indian cooking and we are planning to introduce events, masterclasses, and a cookbook.”

Sudha has kindly provided a recipe for this edition of CBD Digest. on page 19.

www.saffronbirmingham.co.uk

Brindis Con Champagne by Fabian Perez. Image provided by Whitewall Galleries

To-do List

TEN DRAWINGS BY

LEONARDO DA VINCIA DIAMOND JUBILEE CELEBRATION - EXHIBITION

Friday 13th January to Sunday 25th March

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery www.bmag.org.uk

To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty The Queen, ten of the Royal Collection’s finest drawings by the Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci will travel to five museums and galleries across the United Kingdom.

CHILDREN’S LIVESEXHIBITIONSaturday 24th March to Sunday 10th June

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery www.bmag.org.uk

Children’s Lives examines the lives of children from the 18th century to the present day and is the first major exhibition on childhood to be held in Birmingham.

The Queen’s Diamond JubileeFriday 1st June to Tuesday 5th June

Victoria Square and Chamberlain Square www.birmingham.gov.uk/whatson

Events to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s 60 years on the throne.

Oliver!Tuesday 13th March to Saturday 21st April

Birmingham Hippodrome www.birminghamhippodrome.com

Bringing vividly to life Dickens’ timeless characters with its ever-popular story of the boy who asked for more, Lionel Bart’s sensational score includes Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two and many more.

DANCING IN THE STREETSMonday 23rd April to Saturday 28th April

New Alexandra Theatre www.atgtickets.com/venue/New-Alexandra-Theatre-Birmingham

A spectacular celebration of the music that came from the heart of Detroit! After wowing audiences for three years in the West End, Ivor Novello award-winning director Keith Strachan now takes this hit show on tour!

BBC GOOD FOOD SHOW SUMMERWednesday 13th June – Sunday 17th June

NEC www.thenec.co.uk/whatson

The BBC Good Food Show will be at the NEC with a mix of the country’s finest local producers, favourite well-known brands and celebrity chefs for a feast of summer food.

Film BugPart of the Flatpack FestivalWednesday 14th March to Friday 16th March

Various locations in CBD www.colmorebusinessdistrict.com

With a large schedule of films, short films and a screening with a live accompaniment, this exclusive three day event will bring independent cinema to the doorstep of Birmingham’s business community.

DEAN’S DINNER 2012Saturday 12th May

Birmingham Cathedral www.birminghamcathedral.com

The Very Reverend Catherine Ogle, the Dean of Birmingham Cathedral, will welcome 200 guests to a fund-raising dinner to raise money for the Cathedral heritage and its music programme, with a royal theme in honour of the 60th anniversary of the accession of Her Majesty the Queen to the throne.

The VoyageThursday 21st June to Sunday 24th June

Victoria Square www.birminghamhippodrome.com www.motionhouse.co.uk

An outdoor dance and multi-media spectacle performance as part of the London 2012 Festival in the West Midlands.

ANNE BOLEYNTuesday 20th March to Saturday 24th March

New Alexandra Theatre www.atgtickets.com/venue/New-Alexandra-Theatre-Birmingham

This celebration of a great English heroine, Anne Boleyn, leaps cunningly between generations to expose the life and legacy of Henry VIII’s notorious second wife.

BIRMINGHAM YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARDSThursday 17th May ICC www.birminghamyoungprofessional.co.uk

Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (BYPY) is a prestigious awards ceremony that recognises and rewards talented individuals within Birmingham’s business community.

BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL IN COLMORE BUSINESS DISTRICTMonday 9th July to Saturday 14th July

Various outdoor locations in CBD www.colmorebusinessdistrict.com Enjoy live music performances in locations in Colmore Business District. The confirmed schedule will be in the summer edition of CBD Digest.

LIFE IS A DREAM Wednesday 21st March to Saturday 31st March Argyle Works, Great Barr Street www.birminghamopera.org.uk Life is a Dream is Birmingham Opera Company’s new commission. Composer, Jonathan Dove and writer, Alasdair Middleton have created a full length opera, using a legendary play by 17th century Spanish Playwright, Calderón.

MAGNUM SPORT: ICONS AND THE EVERYDAY June to JulyOutdoor locations in Colmore Business District www.colmorebusinessdistrict.com

Colmore Business District is holding an outdoor exhibition that will include images of sporting icons alongside scenes of everyday sporting activity around the world. The dates and locations of the exhibition will be on the Colmore Business District website when confirmed.

CBD Food FestivalFriday 13th July to Saturday 14th July

Victoria Square www.colmorebusinessdistrict.com

Enjoy signature menu tasters from the superb range of food and drinks venues in Colmore Business District. Following an excellent event in 2011, the CBD Food Festival will be returning in 2012 and has been extended to take place over two days.